Solange is about a teacher at a Catholic Girls school named Enrico Rosseni who is in a romantic relationship with Elizabeth, one of his students. It's not played off as sketchy or anything (he's our hero, after all) - he is just waiting for the right moment to tell his wife. One day, while he is out with Elizabeth on a boat in the Thames, they are about to get it on when Elizabeth freaks out, claiming to have seen a knife flash in the woods. Rosseni thinks she is just making excuses to avoid him, but when a brutal murder is reported on the news the next day, and he realizes she was telling the truth. Worse yet, the victim was a classmate and friend of Elizabeth. They hesitate to go to the police (wanting to keep their affair a secret) but then more students from their school are murdered. The evidence seems to suggest that the culprit is someone at the school, but who? There are a lot of really creepy looking guys to pick from... But Rosseni is the number one suspect, by virtue of him being at the crime scene, lying to the cops, and his reputation for liking the young ladies. In an attempt to clear his name, Rosseni and the officer investigating the crimes play a very dangerous game trying to catch the real killer.
The most memorable thing about Solange is the violence. It manages to be incredibly brutal but not all that gory at the same time. And don't read the rest of this paragraph if you want to be surprised by the nastiness this film has to offer. The killer's M.O. (and there is no way to put this delicately) is death by knife in the vagina. You don't ever see it happening (thank god), but you do see the (not all that bloody) aftermath, as well as a postmortem x-ray. It's pretty goddamned disturbing and shocking. I've read some reviews that have dismissed it outright because of this... fair enough - it is a lot to stomach. But the bottom line is that it makes the stakes high, and gives the film a unique hook and the feeling that anything can happen. Otherwise, it's not an outwardly violent film. There isn't a really high body count, and the mystery is much more the focal point than the kills.
There is a great deal of nudity though, with lots of gratuitous shower scenes and whatnot. It feels rather exploitative as the school has a real high school feel to it (although I don't think the age of the students is ever explicitly mentioned). So overall, with the violence and nudity Solange just feels a little more pervy than other giallos I've seen. Although that's arguably part of the appeal of the genre, so I guess the film is successful in that regard.
Special mention must be made of the music too, by the legendary Ennio Morricone. It's an excellent score - you get mostly jazzy interludes with a bunch of different instruments for a little variety, but every now and again a crazy, atonal screeching is thrown into the mix. But it works well, and it's the only place where Solange seems to take any risks in the style department.
That's not to say it isn't a well made/put together film. Director Massimo Dallamano shoots the action well, but the shot selection and camera work is pretty workmanlike. Yes, you get the expected first-person stalking/murder shots, but from a technical standpoint most of the film is pretty straightforward. But it totally works - the story/mystery is strong enough that it doesn't need any stylistic craziness to bail it out.
The acting and dubbing is good too. No one performer stands out good or bad (performance or dubbing-wise), which makes it easier to take the film seriously. But there are a couple bits of humor here and there that work well and provide some much needed levity whenever things get a little too bleak. And there's just enough of the WTFery that you kind of hope for when you're checking out an Italian horror flick from the 70s (bearded landlord guy, I'm looking at you).
Overall, if you can stomach some pretty brutal violence, it's a really good film that's worth a watch. If it wasn't for the extreme violence, I'd say it would be a good place to start if you're looking to dip your toes in the giallo genre - it's got a solid story and moves along at a good pace. Solange has a lot of traits of that you expect from a giallo, but (demented streak aside) it doesn't overindulge in them.
I would recommend this film.
There is a great deal of nudity though, with lots of gratuitous shower scenes and whatnot. It feels rather exploitative as the school has a real high school feel to it (although I don't think the age of the students is ever explicitly mentioned). So overall, with the violence and nudity Solange just feels a little more pervy than other giallos I've seen. Although that's arguably part of the appeal of the genre, so I guess the film is successful in that regard.
Special mention must be made of the music too, by the legendary Ennio Morricone. It's an excellent score - you get mostly jazzy interludes with a bunch of different instruments for a little variety, but every now and again a crazy, atonal screeching is thrown into the mix. But it works well, and it's the only place where Solange seems to take any risks in the style department.
That's not to say it isn't a well made/put together film. Director Massimo Dallamano shoots the action well, but the shot selection and camera work is pretty workmanlike. Yes, you get the expected first-person stalking/murder shots, but from a technical standpoint most of the film is pretty straightforward. But it totally works - the story/mystery is strong enough that it doesn't need any stylistic craziness to bail it out.
The acting and dubbing is good too. No one performer stands out good or bad (performance or dubbing-wise), which makes it easier to take the film seriously. But there are a couple bits of humor here and there that work well and provide some much needed levity whenever things get a little too bleak. And there's just enough of the WTFery that you kind of hope for when you're checking out an Italian horror flick from the 70s (bearded landlord guy, I'm looking at you).
Overall, if you can stomach some pretty brutal violence, it's a really good film that's worth a watch. If it wasn't for the extreme violence, I'd say it would be a good place to start if you're looking to dip your toes in the giallo genre - it's got a solid story and moves along at a good pace. Solange has a lot of traits of that you expect from a giallo, but (demented streak aside) it doesn't overindulge in them.
I would recommend this film.
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